Vehicle bumper and adjustable pipe rack



Dec. 12, 1950 c. E PAULEY VEHICLE BUMPER AND ADJUSTABLE PIPE RACK 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 8, 1948 N wuhq INVEN TOR. Cues/v05 E. PAC/(EX BY wm'flhm ATTO/Q/VEYS.

Dec. 12, 1950 c. E. PAULEY 2,533,837

VEHICLE BUMPER AND ADJUSTABLE PIPE RACK Filed Oct. 8, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

emu-05 E. PAULEX BY @mm rm Patented Dec. 12, 1950 OFFICE VEHICLE BUMPER AND ADJUSTABLE PIPE BACK Clarence E. Pauley, Hopkinsville, Ky. Application October 8, 1948, Serial N 0. 53,554

2 Claims.

This invention relates to pipe supports for vehicles, and more particularly to means adapted for attachment to motor trucks for supporting pipes and the like for transportation.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved adjustable pipe rack and vise for motor trucks, which involves only a few parts, is easy to install, which enables lengths of pipe to be hauled in substantial quantity by a truck without damaging parts of the truck body, and which also embodies means for holding a length of pipe while it is being cut or threaded.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved adjustable pipe rack and vise for motor trucks which imposes no strain on the truck fenders when in use, which has pipe-supporting elements adjustable from an inoperative position inward of the plane of the fenders to an operative position spaced outwardly from the plane of the fenders, so that said fenders are protected against damage from pipe lengths supported on said elements, and which greatly in crease the usefulness of the motor truck by enlarging its pipe-carrying capacity.

Further objects and advantages of the in-- vention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a side elevational view of a motor truck equipped with a pipe rack and vise structure in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a rear view of the truck of Fig ure 1.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional detail view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a perspective detail View showing the front bumper element of the truck.

Figure 7 is a perspective detail view showing one of the front bumper adjustable pipe supporting members.

Referring to the drawings, ll designates a, motor truck which is generally conventional in construction except that it has a front bumper l2 which is T-shaped in cross-section and which is rigidly secured to the front end of the truck frame by a pair of angle bars i3, i3, and a rear bumper l4, likewise T-shaped in cross-section, which is rigidly secured to the rear end of the truck frame by angle bars i5, i5.

.Slidably mounted on the top flange of front bumper I2 are a pair of sleeve members l6, it, each sleeve member having the inturned bottom flanges ll, El engaging beneath the bottom sur faces of the top flange of the bumper. Secured to the outer portion of each sleeve member it is an upstanding support bracket is comprising vertical side bars i9, i9 connected by a bottom bar 20 and by an intermediate cross-bar 2i The inner end portion of each sleeve member I6 is formed with an aperture 22. The top flange of bumper i2 is formed at its mid-portion with respective apertures 23, 23 registerable with the apertures 22 of the sleeve members when said sleeve members are retracted inwardly to substantially. abutting positions on the bumper 12, as shown in Figure 2. Bolts 24,24 are provided which are engageable through the registering apertures 22 and 23 for securing the sleeve members in retracted positions. The sleeve members may be moved to outwardly extended positions wherein the openings 22 register with respective openlugs 25, 25 formed in the top flange of bumper i2, whereby the bolts 2:": may be employed to secure said sleeve members in their extended positions.

The rear bumper M is similarly provided with sleeve members 26 and 21 carrying respective upstanding U-shaped support brackets 28 and 29 at their outer end portions. The sleeve members and 2'! and the top flange of bumper it are apertured in the same manner as sleeve :rnembers it, it and the top flange of bumper i2, and bolts 24, 2 .1 are similarly employed to secure the sleeve members 2% and 2? either in retracted positions, as shown in full view in Figure 4, or in outwardly extended positions, as shown in dotted view at the right side of Figure d. In the outwardly-extended positions of the sleeve members, the respective pairs of support brackets l8 and 28 and i3 and 29 at the opposite sides of the truck are located in longitudinal planes spaced outwardly a substantial amount from the planes of the vehicle fenders so that the fenders and other vehicle parts, such as door handles, will not be damaged by lengths of pipe carried in said support brackets. When the truck is not being employed to carry pipe the sleeve members are secured in their retracted positions, as shown in Figures 2 and 4.

The U-shaped support brackets 28 and 29 have vertical bottom Webs, shown at 38 and 3|. Extending rearwardly from the lower portion of web 31 is a horizontal flange 32 on which is mounted a conventional chain vise 33 whose jaw portions 34 are aligned with the bracket 29. The

3 vise 33 is braced to bracket 29 by a tie bar 35. As shown in Figure 5, the vise 33 may be employed to hold a length of pipe, such as shown in dotted view at 36, while the pipe is being out or threaded, as required.

While a specific embodiment of an adjustable pipe rack and vise structure for motor trucks has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that' various modificationswithim the spiritiof'the invention may occur; to those; skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except;

as defined by the scope of the appended, claims.

What is claimed is: 1. Adjustable supporting means for a motor truck having a chassis, comprisinga pairxof: lat;-

erally spaced horizontal longitudinal bars secured.

to the forward end of the chassis and extending longitudinally forwardly thereof, a substantially horizontal transverse bumper arranged adjacent 1 tothe. forward. ends. of the;bars and extending between the bars and laterally, outwardly. thereof the, lengthlof thebumper being. substantially, the same as-the width" of the truck, the bumper, being IT-shaped. in transverse. cross. section. and including; averticalweb: secured to the forward ends. of theebarsand ahor-izontal web secured to the top of. the vertical. WGibsfl-Hd, disposed above the bars and: projecting forwardly and rearward-ly. of the vertical web, thezhorizontallweb being provided forwardlyof the vertical web with inner and outer' longitudinally spaced. openings, opposed elongated; channel-shaped members slidably mounted upon. the; horizontal; web: for movement iona1tud-ir-iallylthereof andincluding; downs turnedi sides for; engagement: with; the: longitudb na1- side: edges; of. the horizontal web, the-down.- turnetd; sides,- being formed. at their bottoms to providelower inwardly extending; flanges for en.- ga'gement.beneathv thehorizontal web, the channel-shaped members having; openings adjacent to. their: inner ends; for: registration with thezinner and. outer; openings of the; horizontal. web, bolts for" engagement with. the openings. off the horizontal web and channel-shaped members; for

locking the" members in the. selected adjusted position, and upstanding. support members: secured to the. tops of the channel-shaped members near their outer ends; andprojecting above the same.

23.. Adjustable supporting. means"; for a motor vehicle having achassis, comprising pairs: of. 13ft! erally spaced horizontal longitudinal bars secured to the forward and rear ends of the chassis and extending longitudinally outwardly of the forward and rear ends of the chassis, substantially horizontal transverse bumpers arranged adjacent to the outer ends of the pairs of bars and extending between the bars and laterally outwardly thereof, the lengths of the bumpers being substantially equal: to the width of the, vehicle, the bumpers being; Tshaped,1 in. transverse cross section and including vertical webs secured to the outer ends of the bars and horizontal webs secured to. the tops of the vertical webs and disposedabove the bars and projecting forwardly and rearwardly of the vertical webs, the horizontal; websv being provided laterally outwardly of the vertical webs with inner and outer longit'udinally spaced openings, opposed elongated channeleshaped plates slidably mounted upon the horizontal webs for movement longitudinally thereof, and. includin integral depending sides for en agement about. the longitudinal) side.v edges.

of the horizontal webs and bottomlongitudina inwardly projecting. flanges. for engagement, be:- neath the horizontal webs, the channel-shaped plates. having. openings, adjacent. to their inner ends for registration, with the inner and outer openings of. the. horizontal webs, bolts for engagementwith. the'opening s of the horizontal webs and channel-shaped plates for locking such plates iniselected. adjusted positions, upon the bumpers, and upstanding support members se-. cured to the tops of the channel-shaped. plates. near their outer ends andprojecting for. Substantial distances: above... the bumpers.

CLARENCE E, PAULEX.

REFERENCES; CITED.

The: following references. are of: record in the file. of this patent} UNITED STATES PATENTS 

